Twenty

POV Brynmor

The wound on my shoulder throbbed painfully, but I didn't have time to feel it for long. Fiora was busy in the corner of the cave, searching for the simple medical supplies we had left. I sat leaning against the cold stone wall, catching my breath after the brief fight earlier.

"Stay still," she said firmly as she approached with a sterile cloth and a small tube of antiseptic.

I raised an eyebrow, almost smiling at her serious face. She looked different now—stronger, more assertive—as though the battle had changed her.

"I can do it myself," I said, but she just stared at me sharply.

"Stop being stubborn, Brynmor," she replied. "You've done enough. Let me help."

I followed her command, letting her clean the wound on my shoulder. Her touch was light but quick, and even though I knew she wasn't trained, she did it well.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked suddenly.

I was taken aback for a moment before realizing that I had indeed been staring at her. "Nothing," I answered, trying to look away.

She sighed but didn’t say anything more. We sat in silence, the only sound being the rustling of medical tools. But I knew there was something hanging between us, something that couldn't be ignored.

"Fiora," I called softly.

She turned, still focused on her task. "What?"

"You know this isn’t going to stop, right?" I said, my voice heavy. "Jacob won’t just give up. He’ll keep chasing us."

She nodded slowly but didn’t say anything.

"We can’t keep running," I continued. "We have to face this. And to do that, we need allies."

She stopped for a moment, then looked at me. "Allies? What kind of allies?"

I took a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts. "People who have also been wronged by Jacob or Devlin. There are plenty of them out there, especially in the Beta-Engineer Cluster."

Fiora's eyes widened slightly. "Beta-Engineer Cluster? You think they’ll help us?"

"I don’t know," I answered honestly. "But we have to try."

She was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. If that’s what we have to do, I’ll go with you."

I couldn’t help but smile faintly. She was really different now, and that gave me hope that we might have a chance to fight back.

The journey to the Beta-Engineer Cluster was long and dangerous. We had to pass through areas frequently patrolled by Devlin's forces, which meant every step had to be taken carefully.

I was driving our vehicle, my eyes constantly scanning every corner. Fiora sat beside me, her hand tightly gripping the small weapon I had just given her.

"Do you know how to use it?" I asked, glancing at the weapon in her hand.

She nodded, though I could see the tension in her face. "I learned by watching you."

I gave her a small smile. "Good. Don’t hesitate to use it if necessary."

She didn’t answer, but I could see that she understood.

We continued in silence for a while, the only sound being the hum of our vehicle. But I knew her mind wasn’t at ease.

"You’re thinking about something," I said finally.

She turned, a little surprised by my statement. "How do you know?"

"I can see it on your face."

She sighed and turned her gaze to the window. "I’m thinking about my father," she said quietly.

I didn’t say anything, giving her space to continue.

"When I was little, he always seemed like a hero to me," she continued. "He was a great scientist, someone everyone respected. I never imagined he could turn out like this."

I listened silently, letting her words flow.

"I don’t know if I can fight him," she said finally, her voice full of doubt. "He’s my father, Brynmor. How could I fight someone who used to mean everything to me?"

I took a deep breath before answering. "Fiora, I’m not going to lie to you. Fighting Jacob won’t be easy, especially for you. But you have to remember that he’s not the man you once knew. He’s a threat, not just to us, but to everyone."

She looked at me, and I could see tears in her eyes. But she didn’t cry. Instead, she nodded slowly. "I understand."

When we were nearly at the Beta-Engineer Cluster, we were stopped by a small patrol. They were Devlin's forces, and I knew they wouldn’t let us pass easily.

"Get ready," I said to Fiora, my voice firm.

She nodded, raising her weapon with hands that trembled slightly. But I could see the courage in her eyes, and that was enough to give me confidence.

The battle was quick and brutal. I used my augmentations to take down most of the enemies, but Fiora also showed her courage. She managed to take down one of them with a nearly perfect shot.

When it was over, I looked at her. She was panting, but there was a gleam of victory in her eyes.

"You did well," I said, and for the first time, I genuinely praised someone without any hidden agenda.

She gave a small smile but didn’t say anything.

We continued our journey, and finally arrived at the Beta-Engineer Cluster as the sun began to set. Fiora led the way to a small building that looked like a workshop.

"This is the place," she said, her voice soft but firm.

I followed her inside, and we were greeted by a man who appeared to be a little older than me. His hair was messy, and his eyes were full of suspicion as he looked at us.

"Kalder," said Fiora, her voice sounding relieved.

The man furrowed his brow but finally gave a small smile. "Fiora. Long time no see."

He then looked at me, and his smile disappeared. "And who is this?"

"This is Brynmor," Fiora replied. "He... he’s with me."

Kalder nodded slightly, but I could see that he was still suspicious.

"You know why I’m here," Fiora continued.

Kalder sighed and shook his head. "I know. But I’m not sure I can help you, Fiora. It’s too dangerous."

"I have no other choice," she said, her voice almost desperate. "Kalder, you’re the only one who can help me."

The man stared at her for a long time before finally sighing deeply. "Alright. I’ll listen. But you’ll have to give me something in return."

I didn’t like the way he said that.